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Friday, May 29, 2015

Reese Witherspoon stars as Cooper, an overeager police officer
who is tasked with escorting Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara), a money launderer’s wife, to
federal court in order to testify against a drug kingpin.After being ambushed, the women are
pursued by both corrupt police officers and assassins.But will they make it to court or will they pay the ultimate
price?

Though this movie plays on stereotypes and wasn’t well
received by the critics, I enjoyed it immensely!Female buddy movies are not the norm, and I like seeing
women work together instead of competing against one another.Silly, but entertaining, Hot Pursuit is a fun distraction.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

When Rachel takes the morning train into London and the
evening train home, she often sees an attractive couple on their patio,
reading, drinking coffee, chatting or contemplating life.She identifies with them and imagines
what their “perfect” life is like, but her life is thrown into a tailspin when
the wife is reported missing.Will
Rachel give up her obsession with this couple before her own life in
endangered?

Last night I stayed up until three am to finish The Girl on the Train-that’s how good it
is!I knew I wanted to read it when
I overheard two Barnes and Noble employees talking about how it is hard to put
down.I agree!Though I didn’t love any of the
characters, I loved the story, its unpredictability and how it slowly unfolded,
gently parceling out clues to the reader. There’s a reason The
Girl on the Train is on the bestseller list!

Monday, May 25, 2015

Happy Memorial Day!This is the fourth home we’ve owned, and the one thing we’ve
learned about home ownership is that it’s important to maintain, modernize and
make improvements regularly.Sometimes they are small, do-it-yourself projects, and sometimes they’re
investments that require professional installation.This dining room light fixture is the latter.

I thought it would be nice to have something over the table and (luckily) our dining room was already wired for a fixture.We considered installing a traditional
chandelier, but opted for a less formal option.This Chicago Chandelier from Rejuvenation Lighting and House
Parts (click here for more information) is just what I wanted.I was able to choose the metal finish,
hanging bar length and shades.With
the addition of the Edison-style light bulbs (click here for more information
on the light bulbs), I have the retro/modern look I wanted.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Unless we’re going out for the evening, I generally don’t touch up my make-up.As a result, I’m always interested in long-wearing lip color products.They were great for when I lived in temperate California, but since most of them tend to be a bit drying, they’re not as good for Northeast, where it seem like we either have the heater or air conditioner running.This Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Tint-in-Oil is the perfect solution!

Since it’s an oil, this product isn’t drying, and when it evaporates, it leaves a nice hint of color on my lips. It's truly a four star product!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

In my quest to stick to a clothing budget and make
thoughtful purchases, I generally don’t buy items when I first see them.Instead, I take a picture, leave the
store and over the course of a week, think about whether or not the item is something
I love and will use.I say
“generally” because this was not the case with this blush pink motorcycle
jacket.I discovered it at the
Bloomingdale’s Friends and Family sale, slipped it on and immediately purchased
it.

I love the discordance of the edgy cut and feminine
color.It’s versatile and I’ve
worn it with everything from jeans to a floral print dress.Paired here with an Bailey 44 top,
Helmut Lang skirt and traditional pumps, I think I have an impeccable evening
outfit!

Monday, May 18, 2015

While I was recently browsing through a cooking store, I found
corn-shaped corn bread/muffin pans.I thought about buying them, but decided against it because I don’t have
a lot of storage space.Generally,
I don’t advocate buying specialty baking pans unless they’ll be used quite
often.My exception to this rule
is for a Madeleine pan.I rarely
use the one I have, but it’s nice to be able to make, rather than buy, these
cake-like cookies for a few reasons-they’re fresh, made without preservatives
and can be flavored.

These Madeleines were made using Laura Calder’s recipe, and
they’re delicious.Buttering the
pans gives them slightly crunchy edges, and the lemon zest gives them a subtle
lemon flavor.This recipe requires
few tools, so the clean-up is minimal and uses melted butter and doesn’t
require refrigerating the dough, so there’s they’re quick to make.It’s time to start using my Madeleine
pan regularly!

Friday, May 15, 2015

Host city to the U.S. Open of Surfing, Huntington Beach,
California (also known as Surf City) is a great place to visit!Though most of the city is a typical
suburb, the downtown area is charming.There’s something for everyone there-surfing is year-round, fishing on the
pier is permitted, Main Street is filled with surf shops and beachy
restaurants, and the mild California climate allows people to enjoy the beach every
season!

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Yay-the summer movie season is here!Avengers:
Age of Ultron is a typical summer blockbuster.With big name actors, huge special effects, a love story
subplot, just the right amount of humor and an over-the-top story, this movie
is an A-ticket ride!Though the
plot can be a bit confusing, the story unfolds so the viewer can eventually figure
everything out.

If you like any of the Marvel action movies, seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron is the perfect
way to spend an afternoon or evening!

Ex-Machina

Rated R

Caleb Smith is thrilled when he wins a chance to spend a
week with his brilliant, reclusive company CEO, Nathan Bateman.Little does he know he was specifically
selected to test Bateman’s latest artificial intelligence project, a “woman”
named Ava.

Though it’s a little scary to see what might be in our
future, Ex-Machina is fascinating!With three morally ambiguous characters
and a completely unpredictable plot, Ex-Machina
will keep you on the edge of your seat, not quite knowing which character to
root for.

Far from the Madding
Crowd

Rated PG-13

Beautiful, charming Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) has
three very different suitors: kind sheep farmer Gabriel Oak; charming Army
Sergeant Frank Troy and wealthy, but socially awkward land owner William
Boldwood.Fearing a loss of her
independence, Bathsheba is hesitant to marry at all.Will she find the happiness she deserves?

Based on the Thomas Hardy novel, Far from the Madding Crowd has an interesting, unpredictable plot,
beautiful cinematography, and first-rate acting (I’ll come right out and say
that Carey Mulligan is one of my favorite actresses; she has such an expressive
face that I feel her joy and pain).The film also educates the viewer on 19th century British
class norms and women’s rights in an engaging manner.I was surprised by how much I liked Far from the Madding Crowd.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Hoping to understand why her best friend, Meg, took her
own life, Cody jumps at the chance to pack up Meg's college apartment. After discovering friends Meg never
mentioned and an encrypted file on Meg's computer, Cody plays detective and
soon finds herself in an underground world where her own life may be
endangered.

Reading about suicide is tough, especially since someone
close to me took his own life. That said, I Was Here
sensitively approaches the delicate subject matter in a life-affirming way. It's a young adult novel, and therefore
a quick, easy read. And though
this book isn't about my stage of life, I find it interesting to learn about
the current generation's psyche and culture.

Friday, May 8, 2015

When I really looked at the accessories on the master
bedroom dresser, I realized they looked stale and tired.In fact, the handle on my jewelry box
had broken a few years ago, and I hadn’t replaced it because I hadn’t found one
I truly liked.When I found this
shagreen jewelry box at West Elm, I knew it was the one!

To change the look of the dresser, I removed two of the
picture frames and replaced them with an antique clock from another spot in the
bedroom.And because the new
jewelry box is smaller than my old one, I combined it with a room diffuser and
a small picture frame that was originally on the other side of the dresser.I’m very happy with the new look.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

I love using citrus squeezers to juice lemons and limes and
had one of each.They were pretty
old, and because I put them in the dishwasher, the finish was partially chipped.Obviously, they needed to be replaced,
but since moving to a home with much less kitchen storage, I’ve tried to
minimize our kitchen tools and utensils.

This dual citrus squeezer solved the problem-it works as
well as the individual squeezers and saves a lot of space.As a side note, I hand wash this
squeezer to preserve its longevity.What a great find!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Seven or eight years ago when I bought my first maxi dress,
I thought it would be a short-lived trend, and every year since, I thought it
would the maxi dress’s last.Now,
I’m convinced they’re closet staples that are slightly updated every year.This year, I noticed maxi dresses are
made using airy fabrics and have fuller, split skirts.

This Rebecca Taylor dress is just what I need for the
upcoming balmy months.The blue
and white Ikat print is on-trend, the slits in the skirt keep it cool, and this
dress’s cut is forgiving if I eat too many cookies.Another feature of this dress is that the skirt is lined
almost to the knee, making a slip unnecessary.What more could I ask for in a summer dress?

I accessorized this dress with the Ivanka Trump sandals mentioned
in a previous post (click here to view it), Tom Ford sunglasses, an Argento Vivo necklace, a Chan
Luu bracelet and with a Rebecca Minkoff clutch.Though the bracelet and clutch are older, I’m happy to
report they are still being sold at fashionable stores. Though I'm not a fan of the heat, I'm looking forward to wearing this April 2015 buy!

Friday, May 1, 2015

I grew up eating won tons-they were one of those “special
occasion” foods my mom made for holidays and family get-togethers.When I found this recipe for Fiesta Won
Tons, I thought, “What could be better than Mexican-inspired won tons?Pretty much nothing!”

Though they’re a bit labor-intensive, they’re worth the
extra effort!These won tons can
be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen (up to 3 months) and
reheated just before serving.Accompanied
by our favorite salsa, they’re absolutely addictive!

Ramsey Neifert

Welcome to Ramsey Recommends, my creative outlet for living a four star life. I live in Boston with my husband, medical student son (when he's on break) and an adorable Japanese Chin named Emmie. Fashion, movies, cooking and entertaining, and reading are some of my favorite things.